He's hoping to re-create the type of teamwork, which has essentially vanished in recent years, that was formed between academics, industry leaders, and government officials during the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

In a speech at Stanford University, Carter said during the Cold War "a cross-section of military, academic and private-sector experts paved the way to a future of precision-guided munitions, battle networks and stealth."

He also maintained that the 1940s were a time "when the Manhattan Project, the MIT Radiation Laboratory and others brought together the brightest minds, and the best of industry cranked out ships, planes and tanks."

The secretary noted that the Pentagon has requested $70 billion for research and development next year, with $12 billion to "support the breakthrough science and technology research done at universities and companies and [Defense Department] labs across the tech community."

Carter also told the audience that he plans to make recruiting changes that will bring in more personnel who are technologically savvy.

"I'm in the position now of needing to attract to military service a generation of people who grew up entirely in the Internet age, whose memories of 9/11 are either faded or dim or nonexistent, and attract them to the mission of national security," he said.

"I'm trying out ways to change the way we bring people in," he said. "Give them a try. People don't like to be tied down. . . . They want to move in and out."